The retirement this year of Floyd Superior Court II Judge Glenn Hancock has sparked a lively competition among four New Albany lawyers looking to grab a spot on the bench.

Veteran lawyer and two-time judicial candidate James B. “Jim” Hancock is facing Chris Lane in the May 6 Republican primary, and the winner will compete against the Democratic nominee — either Matthew W. Lorch or Richard Rush.

The court handles a large docket of mostly misdemeanor cases — such as operating while intoxicated, shoplifting, invasion of privacy, battery and traffic violations. Each candidate is stressing his experience either in that courtroom or in practicing law and trying similar cases.

For instance, Jim Hancock, 62, noted that he’s tried twice as many cases as the three other candidates and gained valuable tools working as counsel to the local homebuilder’s association, and New Albany and Floyd County plan commissions.

He ran for Floyd Circuit judge twice, in 1980 as a young lawyer, losing to Henry Leist, and to Terrence Cody in 2004. Hancock thinks he’s got a better shot this time because of his life experiences and community ties. Voters “want somebody in there that’s been there and done that,” he said.

Rush, 48, is emphasizing his hands-on role in the last decade serving as one of two part-time public defenders for the court, representing indigent defendants who can’t afford a lawyer. He recently stepped down to resolve any potential conflict, he said.

Rush’s appearance on the ballot has spotlighted action taken in 2000 by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission and a 2012 drunken driving arrest — and a related fine that he paid last month only after a reporter asked him about it. The arrest “is what it is,” he said, adding that he’d thought his lawyer had resolved the matter.

When a check he’d written from a trust account bounced in summer 2000, the state placed him on 12-month probation and ordered an audit of his trust account, which is for clients’ funds deposited from settlements. Rush said he complied and no other action was taken.

He also was sued in 2009, accused of neglecting a woman’s child support modification and failing to return retainer fees. That resulted in a default judgment against Rush for $689. Rush said a scheduling conflict caused the problem and he decided not to fight the judgment. “At some point, it comes down to a business decision,” he said, adding that he’s made mistakes and learned from them.

His opponent, Lorch, 35, didn’t comment when asked about Rush’s record. He acknowledged he has the least amount of time practicing law compared with the other contenders. “Maybe experience isn’t everything (but) integrity is,” Lorch said.

He’s a public defender in Harrison Superior Court and also has represented clients in Floyd Superior Court II, while serving as the New Albany City Council attorney. To ease backlogs, he’d offer extended hours periodically and explore diversion programs as an alternative.

“Glenn Hancock has done a good job, so I definitely want to continue what’s been established,” said Lorch, whose father is federal bankruptcy Judge Basil “Buzz” Lorch III and whose grandfather, Basil “Bud” Lorch Jr., was a state representative and city judge in New Albany.

Lorch is proud of his family’s public service, but “I’ve never harped on any of” the family connections.

Lane, 41, serves as attorney for the Floyd County Council and the town of Greenville. He’s also worked as deputy Floyd prosecutor and made an unsuccessful run for Floyd Superior Court II judge in 2008.

He’s proposed a pilot project similar to the federal system where cases and other documents are filed through an electronic system. That could add efficiency in a busy court where stacks of files are carted to court daily, he said.

Lane figures his run six years ago, coupled with professional work and his wife’s active pediatrician practice, has allowed him to meet many Floyd residents. “I’m working hard to let voters know who I am,” he said.

Lane’s campaign budget is about $15,000, while Lorch estimated his at $13,000. Jim Hancock and Rush said they’d spend about $9,000 to $10,000.

One minor issue in the race has been Hancock’s signs, which bear a gavel, colors and lettering that many observers say strongly resemble those that Judge Hancock used six years ago. The men are unrelated and there’s no election law prohibiting nearly identical signs.

While Jim Hancock acknowledged he’s heard the comments — even from Glenn Hancock, who told him he’d noticed similarities — he insisted he didn’t copy the judge’s signs and ordered the design and color scheme with a friend’s help.

“It just happened that way,” Hancock said, noting that it wouldn’t make sense for a Republican trying to win a primary to use a Democrat’s name intentionally.

Rush was skeptical, saying, “It seemed a little disingenuous to me ... you can’t help but wonder if that’s a benefit in votes.”

Hancock is clearly “using what advantages he thinks he has,” Lane added. Lorch declined to comment.

Reporter Grace Schneider can be reached at 812-949-4040. Follow her on Twitter @gesinfk.